


The Gifts

by EmpressM



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Communication, Established Relationship, F/M, Gift Giving, Holidays
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:15:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28296630
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmpressM/pseuds/EmpressM
Summary: She had one gold dragon and eight silver stags and the next day would be Sevenmas.
Relationships: Jaime Lannister/Brienne of Tarth
Comments: 32
Kudos: 67
Collections: JB Festive Festival Exchange 2020





	The Gifts

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Samirant](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Samirant/gifts).



She had one gold dragon and eight silver stags and the next day would be Sevenmas. 

As she pushed through the crowds in Flea Bottom, intent on finding provisions for the night's supper beyond the hard bread they'd had on the journey, she came across a leather crafter's shop. The goods were modest, but a tooled scabbard caught her eye, one with a simple design and a lion in the center.

She loved her husband Jaime dearly, and knew he loved her. But she worried that the departure from his lordly life was growing tiresome for him. No rich velvets, spacious tents, or sumptuous feasts on their way back to King's Landing. The one prized possession he had left was a fine sword, and the scabbard for that sword had been patched and mended so many times, that there was hardly any material left.

She clutched the gold coin in her pocket tightly. It had been carefully saved for the entry fee to tomorrow's tournament, where she hoped to win glory and claim a boon from the king. But it would be Sevenmas, and she had no gift for the man she loved so much.

~~

He paused as he turned to leave the city proper and return to the outskirts, where they would camp to avoid nosy questions at any inn. A small smithy had a few samples on display. Nothing as fine as his own sword, but his beloved wench Brienne needed a weapon worthy of her skill, after her last sword had been damaged fighting a troop of brigands. 

He could not give her his own for the tournament, because it would be instantly recognizable as a Lannister weapon, and she would enter as a mystery contender. Perhaps he could arrange a trade.

~~

When she returned to the campsite, he had already had a fire going, and he was sitting quietly, looking at his empty hands.

"You look very solemn, my love. What is on your mind?" she asked.

"I know how important winning this tournament is to you and to us. The sword you have is not worthy of your skill and mine is too well known. I thought to trade mine for another. Perhaps not as fine, but one you can use to win," he replied.

"And?"

"I did not."

"You did not? Do you not love your wife?" she raised an eyebrow.

"I did not, because I knew you would knock me on my ass, if I did something like that without talking to you first."

She smiled.

"But I have no gift for you," he said.

"I am glad that you did not trade away your sword so that I could win the tournament, because I planned to spend the entry fee on a new scabbard for the blade."

"And?"

"I did not."

He smiled back at her. "Two heads are better than one. Strategy should only be secret from the enemy."

"But I have no gift for you."

"I am yours, and you are mine," said Jaime.

"I am yours, and you are mine," said Brienne.

And they sat together by the fire.   
The air was cold, but they were warm.   
There were no gifts but the most important ones.   
The gift of their hearts and their trust in each other.  
With that, they could take on the world.

**Author's Note:**

> Immediately after: Jaime makes enough naughty allusions to sheathing his other sword that she wrestles him to the ground to shut him up.
> 
> The next day, Brienne trounces the field at the tournament, even with her subpar sword, because of course she does. King Rhaegar is so impressed that he knights her, and at this point, Jaime, who has been watching, hooded and cloaked, is no longer able to suppress his jubilance, and yells, “THAT’S MY WIFE!” in celebration, leading to his discovery and subsequent restoration to duty. They dispense justice as Wardens of the West, and keep the peace as Lord and Lady of Casterly Rock. 
> 
> And they always made a point of sharing their needs and wishes and heart's desires, because good communication is really sexy.
> 
> ~~
> 
> Samirant: We are fated to be fic exchange friends! I got tangled attempting a sequel to the summer rowers/party bike story, so I hope you enjoy this little tidbit instead. You said you disliked stories where a simple conversation would solve the problem, so I thought I would fix the Gift of the Magi once and for all. <3
> 
> Thank you to tall_wolf_of_tarth for the last minute beta read!


End file.
